海角黑料

Amal Treacher Kabesh Annual Lecture Series Hosted by ICEMiC, 海角黑料 School of Sociology and Social Policy

The 2026 edition of the Amal Treacher Kabesh Annual Lecture features two distinguished speakers:

· Dr Lucy Mayblin (University of Sheffield): Senior Lecturer in Sociology whose research focuses on the political sociology of asylum

· Tesfalem Habte Yemane (University of Leeds): Visiting Fellow specialising in the politics of migration control and critical refugee studies

Lecture Title: Knowing the border: Epistemic friction and irregular Channel crossings

Abstract: Small boat Channel crossings have become a key political issue in the UK, and there is a body of social science research which has sought to understand this phenomenon. This includes analysis of the policy dynamics, the political discourse, the situation in Northern France, and the political economy of the borderzone. But from all these perspectives, the experiences of people who have crossed the Channel through irregular routes, including in small boats or lorries are less heard. In this talk we centre these experiences. Drawing on semi-structured interviews, we explore the experiences of 39 people who crossed the Channel irregularly, including in small boats or lorries. These narratives present a reality which is in direct opposition with almost all of the hegemonic truth claims made about small boat Channel crossings. Coming from a position of epistemic injustice, we argue that their border knowledge has the potential to act as a powerful tool of disruptive epistemic friction.